The Babysitting Job From H E DoubleHockeysticks
by Teefa and Co
Summary: When Ashley and Marina go out to a party, they leave Brad, Lilka, Tim, Kanon, and Marivel in charge of the twins for a day. But who can forsee the trouble caused by two hyperactive 6 year olds who don't seem to like babysitters
1. Beginning of a Nitemare

Beginning of a Nightmare  
  
Kanon swore. The rain was apon her, and she was still 10 minuets away from Meria. "Typical," she said to her companion, "I wonder what else can go wrong on this trip."  
  
She began to wonder what the mysterious business Ashley had told her about was. When he contacted her via the communicator all he said was to come to Meria on August 10th by 9:30 AM. Since she hadn't seen Ashley—or any of her friends for that matter—since the memorial 6 years ago, she was more than happy to oblige.  
  
Finally, she reached the town. Since she was a day early—and night had fallen—she rented a room at the Inn. Kanon dried her hair, hung up her clothes, and finally she and her companion went to bed.  
  
The next day, Kanon went to the Bakery and rang the bell. She then heard 2 pairs of little feet running to the door accompanied by childish giggling. When the door was open she saw 2 six year olds—a brown hared blue eyed boy and a blue hared brown eyed girl—watching her. Both were wearing black pants and brown boots. The boy was wearing a red handkerchief on his neck and blue button down shirt, while his sister had a blue handkerchief on her neck and a pink button down shirt.  
  
"Hello, is your daddy home?" asked Kanon.  
  
"D-aad some lady wants to see you!" screamed the boy.  
  
Ashley came downstairs dressed in a tuxedo and tie. "Irving, no yelling in the house," he told his son. To Kanon he said, "Oh good, now everyone's here."  
  
They went upstairs where the other 4 were. Irving and his sister Altaecia followed suit. When they got to the living quarters, Kanon saw the rest of her friends milling about, and Marina in a beautiful party dress.  
  
"I suppose you're all wondering why you're here," said Ashley. "Well, Marina and I were invited to a party at Meria Castle. Unfortunately, it's an adult only party. So we need you to watch the kids for us. We'll be gone from 10 AM to 2 in the morning. You can take turns watching the kids and still have several breaks each."  
  
"Well," said Lilka, "I'm sure Irving and Altaecia will be no trouble at all." When the kids began to frown, she asked, "What did I do?"  
  
Ashley replied, "The kids don't like us using their full names. Marina and I just call them Irv and Alley."  
  
Marivel went up to the kids and said, "Well hello then Irv and Alley, I'm sure we'll have fun together."  
  
"Oh yes, we'll have fun Aunt Marivel," replied Irv.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't think they will," whispered Alley to her brother.  
  
Ashley and Marina turned to leave. "Ciao kids, we'll be home tomorrow," called Marina.  
  
"Be good for Uncles Brad and Tim and Aunts Lilka, Kanon, and Marivel," added Ashley. Then, they left the bakery on their way for the party.  
  
(10:00 AM)  
  
"Alright now has everyone already eaten breakfast," said Kanon who was in no mood to cook. She did have the ability, but making 2 more breakfasts wasn't her idea of fun.  
  
"Yes," said the twins in unison. "Mommy and daddy said we could play after breakfast," said Alley.  
  
Tim asked, "What do you want to play?"  
  
The twins looked at each other. "Tea Party," they said.  
  
Alley went downstairs to prepare the tea. Irv ran right to the storage room for some crumpets. The others sat around and waited.  
  
(10:15 AM)  
  
"It's done," chorused the twins from the dining room. That was the signal for their sitters to come in. Slowly the 5 filed into the room and took their seats. The tea was poured, and the party began.  
  
It was shortly after her first glass that Kanon noticed something wrong. Irv and Alley hadn't so much as touched their tea let alone drink it. They had eaten their crumpets, yes, but why didn't they want their tea.  
  
Her answer came all to quickly. Kanon began to feel faint, like she was gonna throw up. Her eyes got heavy and she fought to keep them open. A quick scan of the table revealed the others looked the same way.  
  
"What was in this tea?" asked Brad.  
  
Alley smirked. "Oh just some salt, pepper, lemon, basil, garlic, a touch of beer to make it look brown, and those tablets mommy uses when she can't get to sleep."  
  
Kanon nearly puked, but she managed to hold it in. It was in that instant that the world went dark, and she fainted across the table.  
  
(11:15 AM)  
  
Kanon awoke to the sound of drums. As she looked around, she realized she—as well as her friends—was tied to a tree. The others were just stirring themselves, and were no less surprised as Kanon.  
  
Before they could ask each other what was going on, Irv and Alley came up to the tree. Everyone had to keep from gasping at their appearances. Both had taken off their shirts, and put on brown pants. Feathered headbands adorned their foreheads.  
  
"Time for pow-wow," said Irv, "with heap big sacrifice to Guardians."  
  
Kanon groaned. They were into ancient Baskar Indian culture. Raftina knows she had read enough of those storybooks recently. As the kids danced around the tree, she began to wonder how to get free.  
  
Tim solved their dilemma. Being from Baskar, he knew the ancient culture well. "Along with sacrifice, you require heap big meal. Let friends and me go, and we'll cook um one."  
  
The twins deliberated this. Finally they said, "Ok," and undid the ropes.  
  
(11:30 AM)  
  
"Finally out," said Brad. "But now we've got to cook."  
  
Lilka sighed, "We'd've had to make lunch anyway, so why not play along with them."  
  
Marivel groaned. "This is too much. I'm gonna take a nap.'  
  
"Desert us," said Kanon, "are you nuts?"  
  
"You'll see," replied Marivel, "you'll see." 


	2. A Call for Reinforcements

A Call For Reinforcements  
  
What the others didn't know was that when Marivel slept, she could enter the Realm of the Dead. And that's just where she went. She had a plan, a strange plan, but it just might save the gang's sanity. Now she had to find the right victims.  
  
She was in luck. Within minuets of her arrival, Marivel had found her targets. It was just a matter of pouncing at the right time. When their competition wasn't so unruly of coarse.  
  
"1, 2, 3 oh Chance. Go to jail. Don't pass Go and don't Collect 20,000 Gella! What is this!" screamed an angry male voice.  
  
A calm female voice answered, "Just go, Vinsfeld. You're holding the game up."  
  
Marivel stifled a laugh. The 5 major members of Odessa were playing Monopoly with Anastasia, Irving, and Altaecia Valeria. She waited for Vinsfeld to calm down, and then made her entrance.  
  
"I need to know, have any of you used your Day Passes yet this month?" asked Marivel.  
  
"No," said the 8—Who were more interested in their Monopoly game.  
  
Judecca laughed. "Taking inventory Mari?" he asked.  
  
Marivel responded by punching him into the nearest wall and saying, "Don't ever call the master of the world 'Mari'. Now listen, this is urgent. The gang and I need your help"  
  
"What for?" asked Altaecia, who was drinking her tea.  
  
So Marivel explained her situation. She then asked if they would help out.  
  
Everyone was for it—being dead was getting kinda boring. So they all held up their left arms. On it was a symbol—the Day Pass—allowing a 24- hour a month return to the land of the living. They all appeared in the bedroom, and Marivel woke up.  
  
(12:00 PM)  
  
"Lunch is ready," yelled Kanon. At once Irv and Alley ran into the kitchen where hot soup and freshly baked bread lay on the table. They—as predicted—began eating like pigs.  
  
At that moment Marivel and her entourage entered the kitchen. Irv and Alley were plainly surprised at this, and silently decided to rework their devious plans. Brad began to mumble, "What was Marivel thinking?" under his breath.  
  
Kanon rose out of her seat. "Since Marivel just returned from her break with 8 um…helpers, I will be going into town for lunch. Be back by 1:30, see ya." Then she left the bakery.  
  
Altaecia looked at Anastasia and asked, "Why would Kanon be in such a hurry? It's almost as if she's hiding something."  
  
Anastasia shrugged. "It's just like her to keep secrets. But I wonder, what could be so terrible that she can't tell us exactly why she's going out to lunch."  
  
(12:30)  
  
Vinsfeld felt diminutive. He could tell that Winchester's brats were just sizing him up. They had been polite to him and the others—those naughty children Marivel described seemed like alter egos—but those smirks on their faces said all.  
  
So when Irv asked "Uncle Vinny" to take him outside to play, Vinsfeld was skeptical. However, Antenora had given him the sad eyes and pouty lips treatment—as well as promising him a date next month—so he agreed.  
  
The two went outside where Irv said, "Let's play hide and seek. I'll be it. While I close my eyes and count to 100, you find a hiding place. No indoors hiding."  
  
So Irv began to count, and Vinsfeld ran to find a hiding spot. As he ran through the town, he saw Kanon talking to someone. Being Vinsfeld, he couldn't help but eavesdrop.  
  
"If you come with me, Irv and Alley will terrorize you to death. Come by between 3:30 and 4:00 when I'll settle them down with the you-know- what."  
  
After that Vinsfeld heard a child's high pitched laughter. While cocking his head for a better look, he felt a hard, sharp pain on the back of his cranium. Then, the world went black.  
  
(1:00)  
  
The reason Antenora wanted Irv to go outside was that she and Caina had agreed to play beauty parlor with Alley—who had made it clear that the game was girls only. It was a perfect idea, she thought. They would appeal to Alley's feminine side while Vinsfeld wound Irv down. Hopefully, they would settle down enough so the members of Odessa could watch "The Dominators of Silintha—a show about a group who tried to rule the world—at 4:00.  
  
"Now, let's put on some cinnamon eyeshadow to bring out your eyes," said Caina. She was a self-proclaimed expert on makeup—Raftina knows she practiced every night in hopes that Vinsfeld would take her on a date—so she had taken the job of consultant. Antenora—whose hands were much steadier than Caina's—was administering the treatment.  
  
Alley peaked at herself in the mirror. "I'm beautiful," she said. "Now it's your turns for makeovers."  
  
"Ok," said Caina. Looking at Antenora's expression—she was no doubt worried about what Marivel had told them—she asked, "What harm could makeup do?"  
  
(1:30)  
  
"I'm back," called Kanon. It had been a pleasant jaunt into town, but she had made Ashley a promise. She also knew what those kids were capable of, and didn't like leaving her friends—even the members of Odessa—alone with them for much longer.  
  
The first person she saw was Antenora. The very sight of the young strategist caused Kanon to stifle her laughter. Of coarse, Antenora couldn't figure out what was so funny.  
  
"Isn't my makeover beautiful?" she asked, twirling around like a ballerina.  
  
Kanon cleared her throat and said, "Listen, Antenora. I think you should look in a mirror." Then, she burst out laughing and ran to find Altaecia and Anastasia.  
  
Wondering what was so funny about makeup, Antenora looked into the nearest mirror. There, to her horror, she saw her face was riddled with a rainbow of blushes and eyeshadows. "Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee," she screamed. 


	3. Pranks on the Dead

Pranks on the Dead  
  
(2:00 PM)  
  
"Where are Vinsfeld and Irv?" Judecca asked Ptolema. "I'm starting to worry."  
  
Ptolema just sipped his drink. He was surprisingly calm despite his old boss had just disappeared. Antenora and Caina's makeup problem hadn't even phased him—probably because he didn't care what they looked like.  
  
Judecca seemingly took offense to Ptolema's manner. He slammed his hands on the table and asked, "How can you be so serene in a time like this?"  
  
"Because they would never attack a one eyed giant," said Ptolema.  
  
Judecca laughed. "What makes you so sure?" he asked. "They tied the others to a tree INCLUDING giant Brad and one eyed Kanon."  
  
Ptolema threw his hands in the air. "I don't have to take this, I'm going outside." But when he tried to open the door, he found it was locked.  
  
"What's going on here?!" they screamed in unison.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey Alley," said Irv, "Good job with the Cocytus dorks."  
  
Alley laughed. "You got 'Uncle Vinny' pretty good yourself."  
  
Then, the twins began laughing and planning their next prank.  
  
(2:30 PM)  
  
Where was Vinsfeld do you ask? He was not too far away. In fact, he was literally at the end of his rope. After Irv had whacked him on the head, Vinsfeld was strung up on a rope, and hung on the new sign pole Ashley had put on their awning last month.  
  
"Hello," he called, "Is anyone there?" But of coarse they weren't. The adults who weren't working were at the party. And children didn't give a hoot. Well, except one.  
  
"Do you need help mister?" she asked.  
  
Vinsfeld was tempted to say yes, but then he took a look at the girl. She was about 5 or so, and was wearing a red button down shirt, a black skirt, orchid and tan boots, and a pink bow in her black hair. Her hair was cut right to her scalp except for some shoulder length tresses in the front. Her right eye was violet color, while her left one had patch over it. But the biggest surprise was her left hand—visible out of her sleeve—was artificial and salmon colored.  
  
"What's wrong mister?" asked the child, "If you need help getting down, I'll gladly do it for you. I just have to utilize my bionic arm and…"  
  
Vinsfeld quickly interrupted. "No thanks. I'd rather not fall. Do you know any adults who are tall and strong enough to lift me down?"  
  
"No," sighed the girl. "The only adult I know is mommy and she's busy. We travel a lot, so we don't have many friends. So if you change your mind, call me. My name is Annie." And with that, she walked off.  
  
(2:45 PM)  
  
The Valeria twins and Anastasia were playing Monopoly in one of the bedrooms. It had become an obsession of theirs to play for hours on end. Though without the others, it wasn't as fun as usual.  
  
"Tea, cakes and Monopoly, this is the life," said Irving.  
  
Altaecia groaned, "You mean the death dear brother. We have been dead 7 years now you know."  
  
Anastasia laughed. "But we're sort of alive, well for the next 21 hours we are. Let's do this again next month."  
  
"Well," said Irving, "I guess we can do it agian. Only, we'll all go skiing in Sielje, or gliding in Guild Galad."  
  
Altaecia held her mug up to the sky. "Well then, a toast. To fun with friends."  
  
"To fun with friends!" they all yelled. Then, they clicked their mugs together and drank their tea.  
  
At once, they spit it out. For some reason, it tasted like a cajun flavored tea, but it was supposed to be lemon. Who could be so devilish and devious that they'd put hot pepper spice—used in several types of Irington family special bread—in lemon tea?  
  
The answer was an easy one, of coarse. "It's gotta be Irv and Alley," said Irving. "Who else would know where Marina keeps her spices, let alone want to do this?"  
  
(3:00 PM)  
  
"By guys, I'm going shopping," said Antenora. She had been begging a break ever since the makeup incident. Because it was smeared in her hair as well, she had been forced to take a very long shower.  
  
"I wish those kids would take a long walk off a short pier. By Zephyr's wings, I hope Ashley is having a horrible time at his party. Nothing can possibly be worse than looking after two high strung 6 year olds," she said.  
  
* * *  
  
If she'd paying attention, Antenora would've noticed Vinsfeld—still hanging from the sign—calling to her in a frantic tone. No desire to have to be cut down by Annie, and the only person who could get somebody to get him down normally was Antenora. But the prospect of shopping had made her oblivious to everything, and she just walked on by.  
  
"Antenora for the love of Raftina, get me down," he fervently complained. "Caina, Ptolema, Judecca, Irving, Altaecia, Anastasia, Brad, Tim, Lilka, Marivel, Kanon! Help!"  
  
(3:30 PM)  
  
Irv and Alley were literally bouncing off the walls. Bored, they had begun bouncing off their parents' bed and onto the west wall. Their sitters were all the worse for the wear, sitting on the living room couch. Tim—who had the most energy left out of anyone—was making sure they didn't hurt themselves, while Pooka cowered in a corner. When Antenora returned, she tried to cheer them up.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll just let them spend their energy. That'll settle 'em down," she said.  
  
"Won't work," said Lilka. "They'll destroy the whole house bouncing like that, and still have plenty left over to work on the inn, mall, and castle."  
  
Suddenly, the door opened and closed. In ran Annie, who looked out of breath. She made a beeline for Kanon calling, "Mommy, I'm here just like you told me."  
  
Kanon responded by hoisting Annie on her shoulder and giving her a big hug. "Just in time too. Irv and Alley are jumping off the bed, and it's almost time for the you-know-what."  
  
"You're a mother?!" asked a shocked Altaecia. "And what in Raftina's name are you talking about.  
  
"Annie and I have a plan to settle them down. Just be patient, and I'll show you what I mean," said Kanon. 


	4. Tactical Change

Tactical Change  
  
(4:00 PM)  
  
"All right," called Vinsfeld. After Annie had gone into the bakery, she had told the others about him being tied up. Brad and Ptolema had then got him down. "It's 4:00 and time for…"  
  
"Violet Lavender's Adventures in Filigia," yelled Annie. She promptly turned on the TV and tuned in. Just as Kanon had predicted, Irv and Alley stopped bouncing so they could watch too.  
  
The members of Odessa stood wide eyed at the 3 childfen. They didn't look to happy about the arrangements. Antenora began to wine, "But we wanted to watch 'The Dominators of Silintha.' It's our favorite show"  
  
Kanon sighed. "Would you rather the twins running around ruining your show? This is a popular children's program about a group of adventurers named Violet, Alex, Mike, and Lyla who journey across Filigia. Along the way, they learn all of life's little lessons."  
  
"Sounds stupid," complained Judecca.  
  
Kanon glared at him and said, "I like it, thank you very much." Then, she sat down with the kids.  
  
(5:00 PM)  
  
After the show was ove3r, the twins had reaced a level of peace with their sitters. They were currently listening to the members of Odessa as they put on a dramatic re-enactment of 'Goldie Locks & the 3 Bears'—featuring Antenora as Goldie Locks, Ptolema as Papa Bear, Caina as Mama Bear, Judecca as Baby Bear, and Vinsfeld as the narrator.  
  
"I guess you want to hear how it happened," said Kanon. She was sitting at the dinner table with her 4 comrads, Irving, Altaecia, and Anastasia. Annie was exercising on the kitchen floor, and dinner was in the oven.  
  
"Yes we would," said Irving. "You're not the type to fall in love with people."  
  
Kanon ignored his comment and began. "Shortly after the memorial, I was in Damzen. A bunch of male bar patrons tried to get me to sleep with them. I beat 'em up in a fight, and continued my drink. Suddenly, two men who had heard the fight entered the bar. They found out what happened and hired me to travel with them to find something in Holst's abandoned mine."  
  
"Wow," said Lilka, "did you take long to travel?"  
  
Kanon answered, "No, we used a Teleport Gem. When we arrived in Holst, we rented a boat to head for the mines. On the way, one of the men and I fell in love. He asked for my hand in marriage, and I accepted. We then began sleeping together, since we were getting married anyway, we thought there'd be no harm."  
  
"Where is he now?" asked Anastasia. "I'd love to meet your husband."  
  
Kanon wiped tears from her eyes. "The mine shaft…collapsed. The two men were trapped inside. My fianceè gave his life to save me from being trapped too. I returned to Damzen were I found out I was pregnant. My daughter was born there. Her given name is Anastasia, but I just call her Annie."  
  
Marivel gave her friend a look. "Well," she said, "I guess stranger things have happened than you becoming a mother."  
  
"That wasn't funny," said Kanon.  
  
Marivel sighed. "I'm serious Kannie, that's one thing none of us thougth would happen."  
  
"Don't call me that. I'm still the famed exorcist Kanon, even though I've got a daughter," vented Kanon.  
  
(6:00 PM)  
  
"Dinner," called Altaecia. Irv and Alley came running in leaving Odessa preforming the scene where Goldie Locks knocks Mama Bear across the room and begings to fight her (Caina had commented on Antenora's acting, and Antenora had gotten really angry). Annie got up after finishing her exorcises. Finally, the members of Odessa finished fighting, and entered.  
  
"Hey Annie," said Irv over his steak. "What happened to your arm and eye?"  
  
Annie looked down. "I tried to prove I was just as tough as mommy, so I jumped a demon with a dagger. It gauged out my eye and damaged the nerves in my arm. Mommy saved me and took me to the clinic where she got her implants. Then, the doctor gave me my new arm and the patch. Why do you ask?  
  
Irv replied, "The arm and patch look cool, I want one."  
  
"No you don't," said Kanon and Annie in unison.  
  
(6:30 PM)  
  
After finishing dinner, Kanon settled the kids down for a game of Monopoly Jr. She had been inspired by the ongoing game the members of Odessa and the 3 Valerias wer playing. Unlike said people, the kids didn't complain about losing.  
  
"1,2,3 oh I've got to go to the restroom," said Irv. "Oh well, at least I'm closer to landing on Uncle Pennybags and getting all the excess money."  
  
"Not another jail chance card. What's this the 'Send Vinsfeld to the Slammer Game'," yelled Guess Who.  
  
"The game sure has the right idea," grumbled Kanon. To the kids she asked, "Are you all having fun?"  
  
"Yesssssss!" the 3 screamed in unison.  
  
"You're the best sitter ever," said Irv.  
  
"This is insane! How come Antenora has 5 get out of jail free cards yet never ends up there, while I have none and spend half the game in jail," screamed Vinsfeld.  
  
Kanon sighed, "It's gonna be a long night."  
  
(7:30 PM)  
  
Finally, the game was done. Vinsfeld was the first to go bankrupt—from paying an excessive ammount of get out of jail fines. Antenora had ended up kicking the butts of everyone else, and was currently gloating.  
  
"Brains over brawn wins everytime, eh guys," she said.  
  
Judecca responed by yellign, "Just shut up you little…"  
  
Before he could continue, Vinsfeld had him against the wall. "Never insult my love Antenora in my prescence, get it Judecca?"  
  
"Anything, anything boss, just let me down," whined Judecca.  
  
Antenora began chuckling at this. "He's so dillusional," she said to Anastasia.  
  
"Let's shut her up," said Alley.  
  
"Got a plan?" asked Irv.  
  
Alley smirked. "This will be the best one yet."  
  
Kanon scratched her head, wondering what Alley had meant with that.  
  
Well, I know I haven't commented on this story yet, but I had to say something. I got the idea for the beginning of Kanon's story from her picture durring the credits. It shows Kanon drinking something at a bar, while there are men knocked out and overturned tables everywhere. I figured she'd been in a fight, and decided to add my interpritation on the fight to the story. 


	5. Cookie Cooking

Cookie Cooking  
  
(8:00 PM)  
  
"It's time for 'Irv & Alley's Variety Show'," said Annie reading off the cue cards Tim held. "Today, we'll have a cook off. In this corner—from the terrorist group, Odessa—we have Caina and Antenora. And in this corner—from Agile Remote Missions Squad or ARMS for short—we have Kanon and Marivel."  
  
Both groups walked to opposite stoves. They had been asked to help Irv and Alley put on a show for everyone. Altaecia had borrowed Ashley's camcorder to record the show for him and Marina to see.  
  
"Ready everyone, here are the rules," said Alley. "Both teams will make a batch of cookies and whoever makes the best ones will win. Ready, set, go."  
  
Both teams started. Kanon was confident in making at least a decent batch, since she learned to make them so she could give Annie a treat now and then. So she had Marivel—who had no experience doing domestic work—dictate the recipe to her while she did the measurements and put the ingredients into the bowl.  
  
Antenora and Caina fared somewhat worse. "What is this cooking about? I think those brats should stop playing Star Ocean 2," whined Antenora.  
  
Caina yelled, "Shut up. That's just making things worse." Then, she stuck out her tong.  
  
Antenora got mad. She picked up the yeast and threw it at Caina. The bag exploded, and most of it ended up in the mixing bowl.  
  
"Oh well," said Caina. "What harm could this do?"  
  
Annie turned towards the camera and said, "While we wait, let's go to the set of 'Pooka's Playhouse'." they took the camera to the bedroom, where Pooka was surrounded by learning toys.  
  
(9:30 PM)  
  
After and hour and a half of waiting, the cookies were done. Actually, Kanon and Marivel's were done earlier, but Caina and Antenora kept fighting. As a direct result, they not only finished later, but had a good deal of extra ingredients in the bowl.  
  
"Alright, let's take 'em out," said Antenora. She opened the oven, and screamed.  
  
Everyone ran into the kitchen. Then, they saw a giant blob of cookie rising from the oven. Altaecia was getting it all on tape, while Vinsfeld made a dork of himself trying to save Antenora from the firocious 'Cookie Demon'.  
  
It was then that Lilka saw the empty yeast package on the counter. She burst out laughng. "Didn't you two know that yeast makes bread rise. That's why you don't make cookies with yeast in them."  
  
Antenora and Caina blushed deeply. Then, they joined the others in a laugh.  
  
(10:00 PM)  
  
Kanon finished putting the kids to bed. It had been a late night for all of them, and they were happy for sleep. She went downstairs, where everyone was relaxing with relief.  
  
Tim was still helping Lilka comb through the mess in the kitchen. They were trying to save the 'Cookie Demon' from the stove, so they could eat it. The dead people were again playing Monopoly—with Vinsfeld gagged so's not to wake up the kids. Brad had fallen asleep on a couch, and Marivel was practicing her singing outside.  
  
Suddenly, thunder clapped in the distance. Vinsfeld tore off his gag and prayed to Noua Shaxx that the kids weren't afraid of storms. Antenora stifled her laughter at this.  
  
Just then, Tim and Lilika came in with a huge mess of cookies on a platter. "Let's dig in," they said.  
  
12 hands reached for cookies—Brad was still sleeping and Marivel was outside, but Pooka claimed one—and stuffed them in their mouths. Then, they were spit out in disgust. Because things had just been thrown in, the batch was way out of proportion.  
  
Kanon sighed for the umpteenth millonth time that night. "Well that was sure…interesting," she said.  
  
(10:30 PM)  
  
In came Ashley and Marina, soaked to the bone. They looked from the still messy kitchen, to the half finished Monopoly game, to the spilled spices, to the stray makeup, and finally to our weary heroes.  
  
"You're home early," said Kanon. "We had no time to clean up."  
  
"The party was cancelled on account of rain," said Marina.  
  
A shocked Ashley asked, "What happened here? What's with this mess? And why are there ghosts in my living room?  
  
So the gang told the whole story, from the tea party all the way to the video. After they finished, Ashley and Marina burst out laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked Irving.  
  
"Well," said Ashley, "I thought I told you they loved to play pranks." When he saw the looks on the faces of his comrades, he said, "I guess not."  
  
"It was exciting though," said Kanon. "Annie never makes any trouble, and my situation limits the places I can go, lest I die and leave my baby all alone, so life can get dull. Let's all look on the bright side."  
  
"In that case, would you mind babysitting again next month?" asked Marina.  
  
The dead people groaned. Vinsfeld said, "Oh look at the time, gotta go. Wish we could make arrangements, but we left our Monopoly board out." They held up their left arms, and vanished.  
  
Kanon chuckled. "Well, I better get Annie and return to our room at the inn. Before I skip town tomorrow, I'll introduce her to you." She then went upstairs.  
  
"Anyone else wanna baby-sit?" asked Ashley. But they all had run outside into the storm. One time watching the terror twins was one time too many for them.  
  
Kanon came downstairs with Annie—who was still sleeping—riding piggyback. "Bye Ashley, bye Marina. I'll see you later," she said. Then, she left as well.  
  
Irv and Alley watched from the doorway. They laughed at how fast their sitters left. "Another job well done," Irv told Alley. Then, they returned to their rooms to await morning.  
  
Well, if you haven't figured out by now, Kanon is my favorite character. The cook off mini games in Suikoden and Star Ocean 2 inspired this chapter. I also credit this chapter on baking our yearly Christmas cookies. I get inspiration for stories by acting out different ideas as my favorite character in the game. I even have props like an eye patch, fake weapons, and several types of pendants for such occasions. I was doing that while baking with my mom, and suddenly the idea hit me. Well, I've rambled on enough. See ya next fanfic. 


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